Paris falls for ‘Young@Heart’

Philippines' 'Tribe' carries away Future Prize

PARIS — “Young@Heart,” Stephen Walker’s celebration of the U.S. senior citizen rock chorus, underscored its popular punch at the 6th Paris Cinema Intl. Film Festival, scooping two of the fest’s three major plaudits: the main jury prize and the audience award.

Produced by Walker George Films for Brit broadcaster Channel 4 and a Fox Searchlight release in the U.S., Walker’s docu already won the audience award at the Los Angeles Film Fest.

Docu feature turns on the preparations and annual show of Young@Heart, whose senior pop singers, who must be 70 or above, belt out covers of “Stayin Alive” Jimi Hendrix, the Clash and Radiohead with zest, originality and humor.

Filipino first-timer Jim Libiran’s “Tribe” took the Future Prize. Pic is a raw fiction take on the poverty, gang violence and drug use in a Manila slum quarter.

In the Paris Cinema Festival international short film competition, Mirabelle Kirkland’s “Les Couillus” took the audience kudos and “La Sainy-Festin,” from Annelaure Daffis and Leo Marchand, the jury prize.

The brain child of city mayor Bertrand Delanoe, now centered at the Marin Karmitz-owned MK2 Bibliotheque, the 6th edition saw increased attendance, Paris Cinema Festival general delegate Aude Hesbert told Variety. Admissions to date are up to 6% to 70,000.

That allowed the fest to access bigger capacity screens, she added.

One highlight of this year’s edition, which runs July 1-12, was a Filipino Film tribute.

“Filipino cinema is a sort of Bollywood with its own star system,” Hesbert said.

“There is a large Filipino community in Paris and it was amazing to see local celebrities like actresses Sharon Cuneta (“Caregiver”) and Judy Ann Santos (“Ploning”) drawing standing ovations from the public.”